Arianespace has orbited the Hispasat 36W-1 telecommunications satellite for operator Hispasat. The launch took place on Friday, January 27, 2017 at 10:03 p.m. (local time) from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

This was the first launch of the year for Arianespace, and also the first Soyuz launch into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) from CSG.

Hispasat 36W-1 is the first satellite built using Europe’s new SmallGEO geostationary platform, developed by OHB System AG of Germany within the scope of the European Space Agency’s ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems) program.

With this latest mission, Arianespace continues to deploy its complete family of launchers to support Europe’s innovative space solutions.

First Soyuz geostationary satellite launch from CSG is a success

Capable of launching small geostationary satellites, Soyuz complements the payload capacity of Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center. The ability to launch lighter satellites into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), identified right from the start of the program, is now a reality with the launch of Hispasat 36W-1.

Arianespace has another Soyuz GTO launch scheduled in 2017, for the operator SES.

Through these missions, Arianespace clearly confirms the availability and versatility of its launcher family for the benefit of all customers.

A launch for the Spanish satellite communications operator Hispasat

Hispasat 36W-1 is the seventh satellite orbited by Arianespace since 1992 for Hispasat, the Spanish satellite communications operator and leading distributor of Spanish and Portuguese content.

Building on more than 25 years of experience, Hispasat has a strong presence in Iberia and Latin America, where it is the fourth leading satellite operator. Hispasat deploys a fleet of satellites to distribute more than 1,250 television and radio channels, and also plays a key role in the Spanish space industry.

Once in its orbital position, Hispasat 36W-1 will provide a wide range of communications services for continental Europe, the Canary Islands and South America.